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      John Peck, Underground Cartoonist Known as The Mad Peck, Dies at 82

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      Among many other accomplishments, he illustrated a scholarly work on the history of comic books and wrote record reviews in four-panel comic-strip form.John Peck, a cultural omnivore known as The Mad Peck whose dryly humorous style as an underground cartoonist, artist, critic, disc jockey and record collector was accompanied by an ornate eccentricity, died on March 15 in Providence, R.I. He was 82.The cause of his death, in a hospital, was a ruptured aneurysm in his aorta, said his sisters, Marie Peck and Lois Barber.Mr. Peck was not as well known or acclaimed as underground cartoonists like Robert Crumb or Art Spiegelman. That was perhaps in part because his interests were so broad, Gary Kenton, who edited him at Fusion and Creem magazines from the late 1960s into the ’70s, said in an interview.“To me, he would be a Top 10 cartoonist, a Top 10 D.J., a Top 10 rock critic,” Mr. Kenton said.Mr. Peck illustrated one of the first scholarly works on the importance of comic books. And he was perhaps the first cartoonist to write record reviews in four-panel comic-strip form.He also wrote an academic paper in 1983 with the literary commentator Michael Macrone about the evolution of television; its title, “How J.R. Got Out of the Air Force and What the Derricks Mean,” playfully referenced phallic symbolism in the oil-soaked prime-time soap opera “Dallas.” Mr. Peck once called it his “crowning achievement.”His comic-strip music critiques appeared in Fusion, Creem, Rolling Stone and other music publications, and in The Village Voice. He worked in a retro style repurposed from the 1940s and ’50s and wrote with sardonic humor (“Is There Life After Meatloaf?”), while offering trustworthy criticism.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Tracy Chapman Wants to Speak for Herself

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      “I haven’t really done press in a long time,” Tracy Chapman said as she settled onto a bench in the courtyard of San Francisco’s stately Fairmont Hotel earlier this week, wearing a black beanie over her pulled-back, gray-flecked dreads.Over the past decade, the singer and songwriter has remained nearly silent, though the past two years have brought renewed fervor for her tenderhearted folk music. In 2023, Luke Combs released a smash cover of her 1988 debut single, “Fast Car,” and the two performed a deeply stirring duet at last year’s Grammys. Still, Chapman has remained resolutely out of the public eye, passing on interviews about the second life of “Fast Car” and declining to show up at the Country Music Awards, where it took song of the year, making her the first Black woman, and Black songwriter, ever to win a CMA.But Chapman, 61, agreed to this interview because she wants to talk about something she is particularly excited about: the vinyl reissue of her multiplatinum self-titled debut, which arrived on Friday. “This is an opportunity for me to be able to say why I wanted to do this project and what it means to me,” she said, “instead of letting the chatter speak for myself.”Flowers bloomed around her in rich shades of lilac and orange, but Chapman was attired in unobtrusive neutrals: a pale pink button-up under a black zip-up sweater beneath a casual, blazer-like jacket. (“The key to your comfort is to have layers,” she said of her longtime home city’s fickle climate.) Over an hour, she spoke about the album, and also much more — like that emotional Grammy performance (afterward, she “was weepy for weeks”), her penchant for notebooks (she recommended Roland Allen’s “The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper”), her disinterest in streaming music and the current state of that elusive shadow her best songs have always chased: the American dream.Tracy Chapman onstage in 1999. Her self-titled debut album arrived 11 years earlier, when she was 24.Frank Micelotta/Getty ImagesFor a figure who has become better known for her reserve than her public statements, Chapman was remarkably warm and open, quick with an easy, amiable laugh. She is a thoughtful and considered talker, speaking in full sentences that sometimes pause for long parenthetical asides, yet always close cleanly, returning to her original point.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Faces New Sex-Trafficking Charge Ahead of Trial

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      Weeks before the music mogul is scheduled to stand trial, prosecutors added a more serious charge involving a woman they refer to as “Victim-2.”Federal prosecutors have amended the indictment against Sean Combs, who is scheduled to stand trial next month, to include a second major sex-trafficking charge, according to a grand jury indictment unsealed on Friday.The new charge relates to a woman described by prosecutors as “Victim-2.” They allege that she is one of three female victims whom Mr. Combs coerced into sex.Before, Mr. Combs had been charged only with sex trafficking “Victim-2” under a less serious charge that makes it illegal to transport a person “with intent that such individual engage in prostitution.” The new indictment adds a second count of a more serious sex-trafficking charge that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.Mr. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, which include a count of racketeering conspiracy, and has vehemently denied sex trafficking anyone. His lawyers have argued that the conduct the prosecutors are targeting involves consensual sex.In a statement released on Friday in response to the new charges, the Combs defense team said: “These are not new allegations or new accusers. These are the same individuals, former long-term girlfriends, who were involved in consensual relationships. This was their private sex life, defined by consent, not coercion.”Jury selection in the trial, which will be held at Federal District Court in Manhattan, is scheduled to start in late April. Opening statements are scheduled to start on May 12.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Miley Cyrus’s Apocalyptic Pop, and 9 More New Songs

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      Hear tracks by Bruce Springsteen, Elton John and Brandi Carlile, Wet Leg and others.Every Friday, pop critics for The New York Times weigh in on the week’s most notable new tracks. Listen to the Playlist on Spotify here (or find our profile: nytimes) and at Apple Music here, and sign up for The Amplifier, a twice-weekly guide to new and old songs.Miley Cyrus, ‘End of the World’Miley Cyrus has announced that her album “Something Beautiful,” due May 30, will be a “pop opera” and a “visual experience,” with a film to follow in June. One of its early singles, “End of the World,” is a luxurious pop extravaganza with songwriting collaborators including Jonathan Rado from Foxygen and Molly Rankin and Alec O’Hanley from the group Alvvays. A pumping beat, stacked-up guitars, orchestral underpinnings and a platoon of backup vocals abet Cyrus as she calls for one last, desperate chance at pleasure. “Let’s pretend it’s not the end of the world,” she urges. She probably didn’t know she’d be singing through an economic crisis. JON PARELESBruce Springsteen, ‘Rain in the River’Bruce Springsteen was hoarse and howling when he recorded “Rain in the River,” now released as a preview of “Tracks II: The Lost Albums,” an 83-song collection from his archives that will be released in June. It’s a booming, arena-scale cry of anguish with Springsteen’s guitars pealing, droning and spinning gnarled leads. His character gets spurned, told that “Your love means no more to me than rain in the river.” What happens next is ambiguous — and possibly fatal. PARELESElton John and Brandi Carlile, ‘Little Richard’s Bible’Layers of fandom inform “Who Believes in Angels?,” the new duet album by Elton John and Brandi Carlile. Carlile grew up as an ardent fan of John’s songwriting and flamboyant gay identity, while the producer Andrew Watt, who collaborated on the songwriting (along with John’s longtime lyricist, Bernie Taupin), spurs longtime musicians to rediscover their youthful spark. The album’s two opening tracks pay tribute to songwriters that John admired: Laura Nyro and, in this song, Little Richard. John, now 78, sings about Little Richard’s swings between carnality and faith, with high harmonies from Carlile, and he pounds out piano chords as a lifetime rock ’n’ roll believer. PARELESWet Leg, ‘Catch These Fists’A deadpan near-spoken vocal, bristling bass and guitar riffs and a beat that stomps its way into the chorus: those were the ingredients of the English indie-rock band Wet Leg’s 2021 smash, “Chaise Longue.” The group deploys similar elements in “Catch These Fists,” but trades the drolleries of “Chaise Longue” to contend with a more fraught situation: an unwanted pickup attempt at a club. “I know all too well just what you’re like,” Rhian Teasdale tells the suitor. “I don’t want your love — I just wanna fight.” PARELESThe Hives, ‘Enough Is Enough’The swaggering Swedish punks the Hives are back — so soon! — with the first single from an album due Aug. 29 called “Play It Again Sam.” The quintet paused after its 2012 LP “Lex Hives” until 2023, when it returned with “The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons.” (“It was like a slow, 10-year-long panic,” the frontman Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist joked then. “It was never an outright panic because we continued to be so immensely popular worldwide.”) “Enough Is Enough” rides four chords and a wave of frustration to a delightfully tuneful bridge. In the video, Almqvist is the king of the ring — until he takes a punch that lands him in the hospital. Like his powder keg of a band, he rallies. CARYN GANZWe are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      A 270-Year-Old Scottish Folk Fiddle Makes Its Carnegie Hall Debut

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      The ornately decorated fiddle belonged to the dance master who taught Robert Burns. At Carnegie, it will cap “Scotland’s Hoolie in New York.”Of course there will be bagpipes on Saturday, the eve of Tartan Day, when Carnegie Hall will host a lineup of stars. Among the luminaries of Scottish traditional music will be Julie Fowlis, who was featured in the soundtrack to Disney’s “Brave”; and Dougie MacLean, the singer-songwriter whose “Caledonia” has became an anthem for Scottish sports fans.The event, “Scotland’s Hoolie in New York,” will also be the Carnegie Hall debut of an aging celebrity who flew into New York on Tuesday, accompanied by a personal bodyguard, before taking up residence at a high-security location on the Upper East Side. This V.I.P., unannounced on the program, is likely to bring goosebumps to listeners during the final performance of Robert Burns’s “Auld Lang Syne.”The surprise guest, considered a national treasure in Scotland, has never been seen wearing tartans. The dignitary in question is a 270-year-old folk fiddle, covered in what looks like full-body floral tattoos, which belonged to the dance master William Gregg. It was Gregg who taught a 17-year-old Burns dance steps. And it was Gregg whom the young poet sought out, as he later wrote, “to give my manners a brush.” While there is no direct evidence that Burns played this fiddle, its sound would have been on his mind when he composed the jigs, reels and gracefully tripping strathspeys that continue to resound in any space where Scottish music is celebrated.Reminiscent of Turkish or Persian art, the fiddle’s decorations remain something of a mystery. Kieran Dodds for The New York TimesToday, the instrument is among the most popular items on show at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, and it is a Scottish national treasure, said Suzanne Reid, the conservator for the National Trust for Scotland who accompanied the Gregg fiddle on its trans-Atlantic journey. She was nervously monitoring the humidity levels at Freeman’s Hindman auction house, where I was granted a brief private audience.“It is an integral part of Scottish identity,” the accordionist Gary Innes, who organized the Hoolie, said in an interview. “To have it played in the most famous concert hall built by a Scot” — Carnegie Hall’s construction was funded by the Scotland-born Andrew Carnegie — “is very special. It brings people together.” (Innes will also perform in the Hoolie with his folk-rock band Manran.)We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Judge Declines to Revoke Young Thug’s Probation After Social Media Post

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      The district attorney’s office in Fulton County, Ga., had cited a post in which the rapper referred to a gang investigator as the “Biggest liar in the DA office.”A judge declined on Thursday to revoke the probation of the Atlanta rapper Young Thug, born Jeffery Williams, after prosecutors moved to have him punished for a post on social media in which Mr. Williams referred to a local gang investigator as the “Biggest liar in the DA office.”In a brief ruling on Thursday, Fulton County Judge Paige Reese Whitaker declined the motion from the district attorney’s office of Fani T. Willis without explanation.Atlanta prosecutors had filed a motion on Wednesday arguing that Mr. Williams had violated the terms of his probation, writing that he “has engaged in conduct that directly threatens the safety of witnesses and prosecutors, compromises ongoing legal proceedings, and warrants immediate revocation of probation.”Mr. Williams, 33, pleaded guilty late last year to participation in criminal street gang activity, in addition to drug and weapons charges, ending his role in a sprawling racketeering trial that became the longest criminal proceeding in Georgia history. (The two of the six original defendants in the trial who refused plea deals were found not guilty of murder and conspiracy to violate the RICO act.)At the judge’s discretion, Mr. Williams, who had faced up to 120 years in prison if convicted, was sentenced to time served and 15 years of probation, with an additional 20 years of prison time possible if he violated the agreement. The strict terms of the probation barred Mr. Williams from metro Atlanta for 10 years; required him to undergo random searches and drug tests; and instructed him to refrain from promoting any gangs or associating with known members, potentially complicating his career as a touring rapper.In response to the filing by prosecutors on Wednesday, a lawyer for Mr. Williams, Brian Steel, said in a statement: “This motion is baseless. While intimidation and threats of violence are never appropriate, Jeffery Williams has done nothing wrong. We look forward to seeking a dismissal of this petition.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Bruce Springsteen Will Release Seven ‘Lost Albums’ in June

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      The singer and songwriter announced a boxed set featuring 83 songs, of which 74 have never been officially released in any form.Bruce Springsteen is opening his vault — and unleashing seven “lost” LPs.On June 27, Springsteen will release “Tracks II: The Lost Albums,” a collection of 83 songs on seven CDs (or nine vinyl LPs), of which 74 have never been officially released in any form, according to an announcement from the star on Thursday.Fans have long known that Springsteen has withheld many songs throughout his career. Over the years the singer-songwriter has made stray comments about shelved or unfinished recordings, sometimes seeming to itch to get them completed and released.But even many Bruceologists may be surprised at the scale of “Tracks II,” which is organized as seven discrete projects from 1983 to 2018, each with its own production and stylistic approach. Among them are working tapes from Springsteen’s fruitful pre-“Born in the U.S.A.” period and a hip-hop-influenced album from the early 1990s.“‘The Lost Albums’ were full records, some of them even to the point of being mixed and not released,” Springsteen, 75, said in a statement.“LA Garage Sessions ’83” has 18 songs from the period when Springsteen was developing “Born in the U.S.A.,” his monster 1984 hit, a moment of transition from the raw solo demos that were released as “Nebraska” (1982). Many of those titles, like “Fugitive’s Dream” and “Don’t Back Down on Our Love,” have long circulated among fans as bootlegs, but are getting their first official release on “Tracks II.”“Streets of Philadelphia Sessions” peels back the curtain on another phase of Springsteen’s career. After using synthesizers and a drum machine to record “Streets of Philadelphia,” a solo song for Jonathan Demme’s 1993 film “Philadelphia” — which went on to win best original song at the Academy Awards — Springsteen continued to experiment with the format, and word filtered out about a dark LP with a “hip-hop edge.” But even after fully preparing it for release, Springsteen opted to hold the album back.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Gracie Abrams on Her Skin Essentials and Favorite Hair Bows

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      Plus: wild hops in Venice, a Catherine Opie exhibition in New York and more recommendations from T Magazine.Welcome to the T List, a newsletter from the editors of T Magazine. Each week, we share things we’re eating, wearing, listening to or coveting now. Sign up here to find us in your inbox every Wednesday, along with monthly travel and beauty guides, and the latest stories from our print issues. And you can always reach us at tmagazine@nytimes.com.Step by StepGracie Abrams’s Beauty RoutineLeft: The singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams, who is a global brand partner of Hourglass Cosmetics. Right, clockwise from top left: Cyklar Sensorial body wash, $35, cyklar.com; Chanel bow barrette, $525, chanel.com; Oribe Gold Lust Repair & Restore shampoo, $53, oribe.com; Jan Marini Skin Research C-ESTA face serum, $133, janmarini.com; Hourglass 1.5MM mechanical gel eye liner, $21, hourglasscosmetics.com; Egyptian Magic all-purpose skin cream, $39, egyptianmagic.com; Osea Undaria Algae body oil, $84, oseamalibu.com; Hourglass Veil Hydrating skin tint, $49, hourglasscosmetics.com; Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle cream blush, $28, fentybeauty.com.Left: Ben Hassett, courtesy of Hourglass Cosmetics. Right: courtesy of the brandsI like to wake up between 6 and 7 a.m., but when I’m touring, it’s anywhere from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sleep is a constant question mark because time zones are never consistent. I got lucky this past leg of the tour in Europe and the U.K. Our bus was great, and I got the same duvet that I have at home, which was especially comforting. A morning shower — really hot and then really cold — is the thing that fixes my brain quickly. At home I hang eucalyptus from the shower head because it smells nice in the steam. My friend Claudia [Sulewski] has this company called Cyklar, and I put all of her body washes in a row. I do a pump of each. She also launched a suction-y tool for lymphatic drainage, which I like to use. I have an Oribe shampoo that my hairstylist gave me, but I’m not too picky about that. I’ve surrendered to putting on a hat and walking out the door and letting my hair be what it is. I love the Osea algae body oil, and my most used body moisturizer is the Nivea one with almond oil, which kind of smells like sunscreen to me. I’ve always got Egyptian Magic [skin cream] in every bathroom, too.I’ve had a very temperamental relationship with my skin after developing cystic acne in college. At the end of the day, it’s skin — but it can feel like the end of the world if it hurts to put your face against your pillow. Facials with Shar [Hassani] helped me get my acne under control. She’s a wizard. I use mostly all Jan Marini skin care: the vitamin C serum C-ESTA, a hyaluronic acid serum, the Transformation cream and at night something called Age Intervention Duality, which has basically eradicated breakouts and is a holy grail product for me. The Hourglass Veil skin tint is part of my skin care routine at this point — it makes me feel and look even. The Vanish concealer is my favorite for spot-treating. I’m a blush freak. As a pale girl, I’m like, how do I make myself look like I have any life in me? I love Fenty Beauty’s cream blush in the shade Summertime Wine. To fill in my brows, I use Hourglass’s Arch pencil in Dark Brunette, and then Göt2b brow gel for hold. Mascara onstage is a must, but on a daily basis, I’ve just been curling my lashes and using Hourglass’s gel eyeliner in Canyon in the waterline at the top. For haircuts I go to Bobby Eliot, who’s a legend and an angel, and on tour, I work with genius hairstylist Arbana Dollani. She crocheted my hair for one show with silver thread. Hair bows have become a symbol of the community, which is very sweet, and I have this collection of bows that people have very generously made or gifted me. Sandy Liang has some great ones, and Chanel too. In my nighttime routine, I appreciate another scalding and then freezing shower. I like knowing that I’m getting all of the venue dirt and sweat off my body at the end of the day. Then it’s about bringing the adrenaline down. I drink a lot of tea. I like a CBD tincture. Journaling is quite crucial for me. This is corny, but on tour, I cuddle with my friends and we play cards. It’s very wholesome and mellow.In SeasonWhere to Eat the Wild Hops That Grow Around the Venetian LagoonLeft: bruscandoli, or wild hops, foraged from the banks of Venice’s lagoon, are a local and seasonal delicacy. Right: Ristorante Riviera is one of a handful of restaurants in Venice that offer dishes featuring bruscandoli when it’s in season.Left: istock/Getty Images Plus. Right: Matthias Scholz/Alamy One of life’s greatest luxuries is to eat that thing in that place, knowing you can’t get it anywhere else: the bruscandoli, or wild hops, in Venice are a case in point. These are the most tender early shoots of a plant that grows along the banks of the lagoon. You can find hops in other parts of Italy, but they won’t be called bruscandoli (the Italian name is luppolo selvatico) and they won’t have the distinctive flavor the Venetian variety draw from the salty lagoon soil. Visit Venice in springtime, and you might be lucky enough to catch the ephemeral bruscandoli season (typically no more than a couple of weeks between the end of March and the beginning of May — last year it was around the last week of March), when you’ll see bundles of the greens for sale at the Rialto market, as well as at vegetable stalls and barges dotted around town. You eat only the tips of the plant and cook it as you would wild asparagus, blanching it in boiling water or pan frying it, then seasoning it with a dash of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt. Bruscandoli also work well in a creamy risotto, layered into frittata or as the base for a brothy soup, minestra di bruscandoli. Harry’s Bar makes an excellent risotto con bruscandoli, as does Al Covo, a cozy, family-run establishment hidden away in the city’s Castello quarter. And if you’re looking for the incomparable combination of spring sunshine, waterside views and some variation on the theme of bruscandoli for lunch, then you can’t beat a table at Ristorante Riviera on the Zattere waterfront.Stay HereThe Southern California Beach Hotel Where Breakfast Comes With ChampagneLeft: the lobby living room at Le Petit Pali Laguna Beach, a hotel that opened this week in the coastal Orange County, Calif., town. Right: the hotel pool.Caylon HackwithSince its founding in 2007, the Los Angeles-based hotel group Palisociety has opened boutique properties across the U.S., many of which are in renovated midcentury inns and motels. Their latest, which opened on April 1, is Le Petit Pali Laguna Beach. The 41-room Southern California hotel is in a two-story structure built in the early 1960s along a stretch of Highway 1 that’s within view of the Pacific Ocean. Le Petit Pali sets itself apart with a whimsical aesthetic: Grass cloth wall coverings and vintage rattan furniture mix with antiques, floral-patterned throw pillows and navy-and-blue striped beds that evoke a beach club cabana. (Speaking of which, Treasure Island Beach and Goff Cove — two of the area’s most popular spots for swimming — are within easy walking distance.) And while there is no restaurant here (Palisociety’s “Le Petit” concept is modeled after a bed-and-breakfast), guests are treated to a morning spread with an abundance of eggs, locally made pastries from nearby Rye Goods, Marmalade Grove preserves and seasonal fruit, plus champagne and mimosas. From $350 a night, lepetitpali.com.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More